HOME REMEDIES FOR CONSTIPATION

Home Remedies for Constipation are extremely effective. With the proper food choices, supplements, and lifestyle changes, even people with chronic (long-term) constipation can have complete relief.

WHAT IS CONSTIPATION?

Constipation is the term for difficult, or painful bowel movements. It is characterized by infrequent bowel movements, flatulence (gas in the lower abdomen), chronic fatigue, depression, candidiasis (yeast overgrowth), bad breath, body odor, mental dullness, and unhealthy skin.

Ideally, a person should eliminate after each meal. Bowel transit time should be around 12 hours or so. This means that what you eat should be digested, assimilated, and eliminated within 12 hours of eating it.

HOME REMEDY FOR CONSTIPATION FOODS

The basics of relief for constipation: drink 64 oz. of water a day, supplement with Essential Fatty Acids like flax seed oil or hempseed oil, and eat 35 grams of fiber a day.

In order for home remedies for constipation to be effective, I would highly recommend making changes to your diet.

The main causes of constipation are a low fiber diet, eating a lot of processed foods, junk foods, fast foods, fried foods, overeating foods made with flour (bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, etc.), consuming more than 3-4 ounces of meat a day, eating a lot of pasteurized dairy foods (butter, cheese, milk, etc.), stress, caffeine, alcohol, overeating, overuse of laxatives, some prescription drugs, hypothyroidism, and lack of exercise.

Home remedies for constipation start with eating high fiber foods. The best choices are fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables. My favorites are berries, apples, pears, avocadoes, citrus, sprouts, and leafy green vegetables. All of these are foods that relieve constipation.

High fiber foods and supplements relieve constipation by stimulating peristalsis. Peristalsis is the rhythmic contracting of the muscle that lines the bowel. Peristalsis makes you "feel" like you have to go to the bathroom. Ideally, you should eliminate immediately upon getting the urge.

TOP HOME REMEDY FOR CONSTIPATION

Lifestyle choices are also important for relieving constipation. First, exercise at least a little bit every day. Take a walk, dance (my favorite), or do yoga. Anything to raise the heart rate that also stretches and tones the muscles. If you are super busy, just exercise for 5-10 minutes at a time. It is still effective as long as you do it every day.

You should also plan on going to the bathroom as soon as the urge arises. Don't put it off or you can set up a situation where you get the urge less and less. If you are constipated, start sitting down on the toilet for a few minutes every morning and after meals. You may feel silly at first but it really does help.

IMMEDIATE RELIEF OF SEVERE CONSTIPATION

For severe cases many people have found excellent results from an old-fashioned remedy using a castor oil pack. Just dampen a piece of wool linen with castor oil, lay it across the lower abdomen, cover with a layer of plastic such as saran wrap, and apply a hot water bottle or heat pack.

Rest, practice deep breathing, or meditate for about 45 minutes to an hour, then remove. The pack may be reused 20-30 times. Put it into a plastic bag and refrigerate it. Repeat the process as needed or desired. This works by deeply lubricating the bowel and improving liver function.

The last thing I would like to mention about home remedies for constipation is to be firm in your approach. Taking a strong, proactive approach will give you the results you are looking for, just stick to it. Cleansing the colon can help with many other imbalances including acne, diabetes, heart disease, allergies, and bad breath.

Treat your body with Love, it's the only one you've got.

RELIEVING CONSTIPATION WITH SUPPLEMENTS

If you're hesitant to make radical changes to your diet, fiber supplements can be added to your daily lifestyle with amazing results. Check out a review of the best constipation supplements in the next article in this series, Fiber Supplements : A Natural Remedy for Constipation.

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